Reports to Congress

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 charges the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) with making an annual report to Congress that identifies gaps in the evidence base for clinical preventive services and recommends priority areas that deserve further examination.

The Task Force hopes that by annually highlighting high-priority evidence gaps, as requested by Congress, it will assist public and private researchers and research funders in targeting their efforts, ensuring a collaborative approach to improving preventive health and health care for all Americans.

Congressional Testimony

On November 30, 2016, Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, former chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health on all aspects of the Task Force’s mission, processes, and transparency efforts. Her full written testimony submitted to the committee can be found here.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force - Annual Reports

In 2018, the Task Force’s “Eighth Annual Report to Congress on High-Priority Evidence Gaps for Clinical Preventive Services” highlights seven recent topics related to cancer prevention and cardiovascular health, the leading causes of death among adults in the United States, for which more research is needed. The report also calls for more research in populations who are disproportionally affected by these conditions, yet often underrepresented in studies. Future research in these areas can help fill these gaps and could result in important new recommendations that will help to improve the health of Americans.

In 2017, the Task Force’s “Seventh Annual Report to Congress on High-Priority Evidence Gaps for Clinical Preventive Services” identifies evidence gaps related to five recent topics for which the current evidence was insufficient for the Task Force to make a recommendation, including screening for celiac disease and screening for obstructive sleep apnea. The USPSTF also identified evidence gaps that prevent it from making recommendations for specific racial/ethnic populations and age groups. These gaps include screening for prostate cancer in African American men and screening for illicit drug use in children and adolescents. Future research in these areas can help fill these gaps and could result in important new recommendations that will help to improve the health of Americans.

In 2016, the Task Force's "Sixth Annual Report to Congress on High-Priority Evidence Gaps for Clinical Preventive Services" prioritizes evidence gaps related to six recent topics, including autism screening and tobacco smoking cessation with electronic nicotine delivery systems. The Task Force also identified specific populations for which evidence gaps exist, such as screening for breast cancer in African American women. Research in these areas would generate much needed evidence for important new recommendations to improve the health and health care of Americans.